pocketbook UK /ˈpɒ.kɪt.bʊk/US /ˈpɑ.kɪtˌbʊk/ noun5 •(US) A purse or handbag. •(old-fashioned) A wallet for paper money. •(figurative) One's personal budget or financial capacity; the amount one can afford. •A small book, particularly (US) a paperback or (UK) notebook able to fit into a pocket (of any genre, from reference work to fine art).The publishers brought out small format pocketbooks of the whole of their nature series. •(Philippines) A romance novel published as a small paperback. formspocketbooks